Okanagan communities plan prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risk

After another severe wildfire season in the Okanagan, the Kelowna Fire Department is planning prescribed burns in several areas of the city, including Knox Mountain.

The planned burn at Knox Mountain would be the park’s second prescribed burn carried out by the department in the past year.

For residents living nearby, the prospect of proactively reducing wildfire risk is welcome news.

“It’s good if we are proactive, ” said Roy Shatz, who lives nearby. “We need to be proactive. We’ve seen what the wildfires did in Summerland.”

The fire department hopes to conduct three prescribed burns across the city over the next month, although weather conditions will determine when the burns can safely proceed.

“We’re very much Mother Nature dependent. Mother Nature picks the burn day. We don’t choose the burn day,” said Dennis Craig, assistant chief of mitigation, risk and wellness with the Kelowna Fire Department.  “It’s going to be temperature, humidity dependent and a big portion of that is venting.”

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Craig said prescribed fire is intended to reduce the amount of fuel available to a wildfire.

“Prescribed fire doesn’t eliminate fire; it just reduces the severity and the intensity of the fire should a fire come through,” Craig said.

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While prescribed fire has been used for centuries, bringing the practice back is relatively new for the city. It requires public acceptance and extensive planning.

“It’s making sure we’re doing it responsibly,” he said.

2:00 Arson concerns grow after Knox Mountain fire

The planned burns will also provide an opportunity for fire officials from across B.C. to participate through the B.C. Wildfire Service’s Training Exchange, known as TREX.

“We’ve invited them out to participate and assist us with the burns,” Craig said.

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He said the program allows firefighters to gain experience while helping build capacity for prescribed fire across the province.

“It’s our way of giving back to the industry as a whole by providing this area for them to learn and develop, so that we can try and help the province out with getting more fire back on the landscape,” Craig said.

Prescribed burns are becoming more common in B.C. The B.C. Wildfire Service completed 76 prescribed burns in 2025, up from 48 the previous year.

Training programs such as TREX are also helping develop the skills and capacity needed to conduct more prescribed burns.

Similar burns are being planned in Lake Country and the North Okanagan.

For residents like Schatz, taking more steps to reduce wildfire risk is increasingly important in a region that has experienced repeated wildfire devastation.

“We have to do more, I think, every year from now on,” he said.

1:52 Fire crews out in force in Kelowna’s Knox Mountain Park